Social Networking in the arab countries

[JamesHunt]

How big a factor is youtube, facebook and twitter on the recent revolutions in the middle east. If they didn't exist, would they of happened?

[Ineeda SM]

I think social networks had something to do with Arab nations rebelling.

They were always able to access some of the internet before and check out other cultures in the rest of the world. But they could never be sure that what they were seeing was real or propaganda from those countries.

Even dictator countries are made to look like a paradise. Look at pics from Cuba on the internet. They are all happy, dancing in the streets, working at regular jobs and smiling, showing off their white sandy beaches and swimming in clear clean waters...blah blah blah... But we know better.

But then came the social networks, and they could interact with real people in those countries, and get a feel for their true cultures. Once they tasted freedom, they wanted it.

Would they have rebelled without social networks? Maybe.....in time. But I think they helped bring rebellion a little faster. I also think the Muslim world got the shits of them all being looked at as terrorists, because of their psycho ruthless leaders, and decided to do something to change it.

I just hope it is all worth it and they can make changes for their own good. But will they?

[Stavros]

Not only is it of great importance, it is indicative of a different attitude to politics than the standard threats that accompany the 'what next?' brigade of ignorant people who assume that when the dictators go they wil be replaced by the 'Muslim Brotherhood', 'al-Qaeda' or some fanatical variant. I posted the article by Olivier Roy on the 'post-Islamic' discourse in the Middle East in another thread, it is here and I think you will find it interesting.
http://www.europeaninstitute.org/February-2011/by-oliver-roy.html